All 7 Error Handling with TRY CATCH questions
More in Error Handling with TRY CATCH
How does a TRY CATCH block work in SQL Server, and why is it useful? What error information functions are available inside a CATCH block to help you understand what went wrong? How do you combine a TRY CATCH block with a transaction to ensure the database is properly rolled back if an error occurs partway through? What types of errors cannot be caught by a TRY CATCH block in SQL Server? How would you build a centralized, reusable error logging procedure that captures detailed error information whenever it is called from within a CATCH block? How do nested TRY CATCH blocks work, and when would you use them in a complex stored procedure?
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SQL Server › Error Handling with TRY CATCH

What is the difference between using THROW and RAISERROR to raise a custom error in SQL Server?

Intermediate

Answer

THROW is the newer, simpler way to raise an error, automatically preserving the original error information when used without parameters inside a CATCH block, while RAISERROR is the older approach that offers more formatting options like inserting values into the error message, but requires slightly more code to use correctly and does not automatically stop batch execution the same way THROW does.
BEGIN CATCH
  THROW; -- re-throws the original error exactly as it occurred
END CATCH;

-- Custom error message
THROW 50001, 'Insufficient balance for this transaction.', 1;
Real-world example A stored procedure re-throws a caught error using THROW after logging it, preserving all the original error details for the calling application while still recording what happened for troubleshooting purposes.

Common follow-ups: Can THROW be used to raise a brand new custom error, not just re-throw an existing one?;Why might a team choose RAISERROR over THROW in certain situations?

Stored Procedures & Functions;Transactions & ACID
All 7 Error Handling with TRY CATCH questions